Darkness Before Dawn
by Gotham-Night
Summary: A teammate has fallen. The rest of the Justice League is in mourning. But in the wake of their turmoil, a new evil is rising that threatens the safety of the planet. BMWW
1. Chapter 1 - Fallen

It was one of those scenes he knew he would never forget. The glint of silver from the blade, turning end over end, as it flew from The Joker's outstretched hand. Shayera's scream, piercing the air with a terror that immediately chilled him to the bone. And the blood. So much blood. The sharp contrast between the scarlet stain and the emerald fabric covering his teammate's heart.

Before he knew what was happening his hands were gripping The Joker's collar, blinding fury turning his vision red. His fist came down upon the starch white face. Again. And again. And again. He didn't stop until the mad man's laughter had ceased, replaced by strangled, whimpering breath.

Batman stood up, leaving the broken clown lying in a pool of blood, and numbly moved toward his fallen teammate. Shayera's body was crumpled forward, her auburn hair making a curtain around the face of the man whose head rested in her lap. As Batman approached her, falling to his knees at her side, he could hear her whispered cries.

Shayera lifted her head toward the sky, pleading to a power she scarcely understood as she continued to clutch the body before her. It was when she moved that Batman finally saw his face. Eyes frozen in a perpetual state of shock, John Stewart's lifeless figure stared back at him. Stared, but did not see.


	2. Chapter 2 - Broken

"I still don't want to talk about it J'onn." Shayera kept her head down, looking at her intertwined fingers rather than the red eyes she could feel boring into her.

Shayera and J'onn sat opposite one another in the counseling center of the Watchtower, just as they had been at least once every day since Green Lantern's death.

"It's been almost two weeks. You need to vent this emotion. It's crippling you." J'onn spoke quietly but firmly. "This guilt you feel for his death…it's unfounded."

Shayera's head snapped up at that, a fire in her words that hadn't been present for quite some time. "You would dare read my mind with a situation like this! You don't have the right!"

"Shayera, please," J'onn replied quickly, quieting the start of an eminent rant. "I have not invaded your privacy. My observations are based purely on your behavior over the past weeks. You are my friend, and I can sense when you are not one with your usual self."

A silence impregnated the room. "It is my fault," Shayera whispered, tears welling up in her bright green eyes. "If I hadn't told him to come, he could have … I knew his ring was almost out."

"You could not have possibly known the mission was going to get so out of hand. Not a single one of us did. You cannot blame yourself for calling in another member, just as you cannot blame yourself for John's fate."

Shayera visibly winced at the sound of his name. "Don't tell me what I can and cannot feel," she replied venomously. "It was my sorry ass he had to save when I fell. It was my weakness, my failure, my stupid god damn life that he died for."

"Shayera," J'onn began softly.

"Save it, J'onn, I don't want your pity," She stood up abruptly. "I think we're done here."

The martian made no motion to stop her. As she strode for the door, J'onn gazed upon her bandaged wing, realizing that Green Lantern was not the only one to have been lost that day.


	3. Chapter 3 - Confused

Diana flung her body forward, her fist extended toward Batman's face, but he quickly rolled to the side, sweeping her legs out from under her in the next second. As she hit the ground she grunted in anger, and then nimbly turned her body to avoid Batman's heel as he swung it down. Jumping to her feet, she raised her arms in a defensive position as the two began circling one another.

Again she lunged toward him, aiming for his ribs with a well-placed kick, but before contact was even made his hand was gripping her leg, twisting it to the side so that she was again forced to the floor.

"Nice try, Princess." He mocked, which only fueled Wonder Woman's fury. Spitting hair out of her face, she glared at him, rolling to her feet.

This time she tried a different tactic, waiting for Bruce's attack. When he dove toward her, she hastily dodged his advance. She barely had a fraction of a second to enjoy her successful evasion, for Batman seemed to have been expecting it. He was already behind her, one arm across her throat, while using his other hand to pin her arm up against her back.

Diana felt warmth against her neck as he breathed heavily in her ear. "You seem a little preoccupied today. I've never pinned you this easily." She could hear the smugness in his voice as he wrenched her arm even farther upward.

With that, she flipped forward, carrying Batman with her until his back struck the ground. He grunted in pain, his arms relinquishing their grip on her. She was able to spin around quickly to face him, pinning him down with her body.

Diana stared down at his masked face. Even with the cowl covering his eyes, she could still feel him calculating every inch of his surroundings, in the process of finding the one weakness in her hold and simultaneously anticipating her next move.

But in that instant, she did something for which neither of them were prepared. Diana lowered her face to his, and kissed him.

She was not surprised in the slightest when his hands gripped her upper arms. The surprise came instead when, rather than use his hands to push her away, he gripped her tightly and pulled her in closer, a desperation driving his lips and hands that Diana returned with gusto.


	4. Chapter 4 - Lost

"Smallville, you all right over here?" Lois' voice broke through the haze Clark had been in. He blinked rapidly, trying to remember what he was supposed to be doing.

Clark moved a hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah, just working on this article for Perry." He watched as she raised an eyebrow skeptically. Wordlessly they both glanced at the blank white computer screen in front of Clark.

"Writers block isn't an excuse for reporters, Clark. Besides, you've been sitting here for hours. What's the deal?" She plopped down on the corner of his desk, crossing her legs and staring intently at him.

"Ah, c'mon Lois, you know how I can space out sometimes. I'm just a little out of it is all." Clark did his best to sound nonchalant, but the look on Lois' face was clear evidence that Hollywood was nowhere in his near future.

He sighed. "Ok, ok, you're right. It's the story. I just… I don't think I can write it."

"That's the first time I've heard those words come out of your mouth, Smallville. What's it about anyway?"

"Green Lantern's funeral." Clark paused, unsure of how to continue. The Superman/ Clark division was especially difficult to maintain with the current situation. He couldn't keep himself from displaying his sorrow, not with this. "It's just really hit me hard for some reason. Someone so tough, so invincible…to be gone like that. I don't know, it just really has me thinking about a lot."

Lois sat quietly as Clark spoke, feeling both saddened and exceptionally frustrated. _Why, Clark? Why can't you just tell me?_ Sometimes she just wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him until he realized his entire façade was completely ridiculous. She was a reporter for Christ's sake. And one who spent nearly every day with either "Superman" or "Clark." The fact that he still kept his identity a secret from her was getting to the point of insulting her intelligence.

But she was a seasoned veteran with Clark's protect-my-loved-ones-routine, so she played along with his excuses, understanding just how difficult the past couple weeks had been for him. "I know what you mean, Clark. He was a real hero, and he saved more lives than I can count. It's hard on everyone when someone like that is taken away so suddenly."

Clark turned his head quickly away from her, gazing toward the window, but Lois didn't miss the crystal tear that dropped from behind his glasses onto his lap.

Lois slid forward off his desk, crouching in front of him and wrapping her arms around his neck in an embrace. She felt his body stiffen with surprise, but then his arms were around her as well.

Clark's hands clutched at the fabric at Lois' back as he buried his face in her shoulder, his body shaking with the sobs he had been trying so hard to hold back.


	5. Chapter 5 - Vulnerable

Thanks Lloyd RPGFan for the review! I promise the chapters will start getting longer as the story develops. Hope you enjoy the next piece!

* * *

Though he had known it was coming, Batman still cringed when he heard the knock on the door of his quarters. This was no tentative, light knock. This was powerful, confident…demanding.

_What have I gotten myself into?_ Batman cursed every bone in his male body, hating the weakness that had led him to this position. As he strode to the door, he tried to run through the conversation he had been rehearsing the entire afternoon one last time.

When the doors slid open, he was met with the face that haunted his every thought. The bright blue eyes were narrowed slightly, challenging him before the conversation could even begin. Every other part of her mirrored the expression in those eyes. The perfect dark eyebrows, arched ever so slightly; the full red lips, slightly turned down at the corners; her arms, crossed sternly across her beautiful, swelling – _Damn it!_ Bruce snapped his eyes back up to hers, wishing his extensive knowledge of physiology could give him some way to shut down the chemical signals that surged through him every time she was near.

"Princess," He acknowledged.

"Bruce," Wonder Woman replied as stoically as he had.

"Anything I can help you with?" He knew he was being cruel, but he _really_ did not want to have this conversation at that moment.

Diana laughed sardonically. "Really?"

Batman sighed and stepped to the side, indicating for her to enter.

She sauntered in, showing every outward appearance of confidence as she tried to quiet the tremors that threatened to destroy her cool composure. Surveying the room, she chose to sit on the edge of Batman's bed as he dragged a metal chair against the floor and placed it so that he sat facing her.

They stared at one another silently.

When Diana realized there was absolutely no chance Bruce was going to voluntarily offer the answers and explanations she needed to hear, she decided to break the silence. "So, what does this mean?"

"It means nothing." Batman replied coldly.

Diana felt a sharp stab at his words, a volcano of fury erupting in her stomach. She couldn't believe it had only taken three words from him to destroy her poise. "Really? Nothing?" Her voice was growing louder. "You cannot for one second say that what happened earlier was nothing. Why can't you admit that something is happening between us? That you feel something! Something for…me." The last word came as a plea, for which she immediately detested herself.

"The past couple weeks have been difficult on everyone. We all respond to pain in different ways. It was nothing more than a moment of confusion. A temporary lapse in judgment. A mistake."

He might as well have been tearing at her insides with a knife as he spoke. Monotone, emotionless, his robotic intonation wounded her more than any weapon ever had.

And she _hated_ him for it.

Her next words came as a whisper. "Do you know what the first thought to cross my mind was after that dagger hit John?"

No response.

"_Thank the gods it wasn't Bruce._ I felt relief as my teammate drew his last breath on the battlefield."

"Diana, that's sick."

"You think I don't know that?!" She fired back. "You think I don't feel disgusted with myself, _hate_ myself for it. It's all I've been able to think about the past two weeks. And yet I still can't stop feeling thankful that it wasn't you." Diana took a deep breath. "Because that _could_ have been you, taken away from me without me ever getting the chance to tell you, to show you, how I feel. That terrifies me more than any of the pathetic excuses you've given me for why we can't be together. And no matter what you say to try and convince me otherwise, I know that you have the same feelings for me."

A silence fell between them as Wonder Woman waited for Batman to respond. He had not tried to interrupt her once, and at the moment he appeared rather lost for words.

After an excruciatingly long minute of stillness, he finally spoke. "Diana, you don't understand. I'm not…whole. I can't give you what you want. I-"

"Bull shit." She interrupted angrily.

"Excuse me?" Bruce replied, utterly shocked at the abnormal interjection from Wonder Woman.

"You heard me. That's absolute bull shit. You say you can't give me what I want. _You_ are what I want."

Batman leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as he growled in exasperation. "You don't understand what you're saying. You don't understand who I am… _what_ I am."

"The next time you tell me something I don't _understand_, I'm going to punch you so hard you won't even be able to mutter that word again." She knew it was childish to resort to threats, but at that moment she did not care. He was being absolutely infuriating.

Another all-consuming silence enveloped them, dragging on and on. Just when Diana was about to give up completely on him, Batman did something she would have never expected.

He bowed his head and reached toward his face, pulling his cowl off in one fluid motion. Though he did not utter a single word, the action spoke volumes.

Bruce raised his head to meet her gaze, completely vulnerable. Diana's heart panged painfully in her chest as she examined his tousled black hair, his bright blue eyes staring back at her with an expression she had never seen on his face.

"Bruce…" She whispered quietly, her voice brimming with an overwhelming surge of emotions. Her hand reached toward the gloved one that rested on his thigh. Reflexively, he formed a fist, but after a moment he opened his hand and watched Diana's slender fingers slide across his palm.

"I'm… afraid." Bruce spoke so softly that she scarcely heard him.

"Bruce, I could never hurt you."

"But you could. And you will. Just like everyone else I've ever let love me. I'm poison, Diana, a curse. The people who love me end up dead." He took a deep, shuddering breath. "I can't go through it. Not again. I'm not strong enough."

"And I'm not strong enough to stay away from you anymore." Diana countered, sliding off the bed to kneel in front of him. She took his hand in both of hers. "Just try, Bruce. Please. For me."

Bruce stared deeply into the pleading eyes of the beautiful woman before him. He had never seen this side of her, and he knew he had already lost the battle. If he was being honest with himself, he had lost it months ago when he realized he was in love with her.

"I'm not sure how." He admitted.

"Well," She began, a slight smile on her face. "We can start slow." Diana raised herself up so that her face was inches from his. "Take things one step at a time." With that she gave him a quick, soft kiss on the lips.

When she pulled back, Bruce kept his eyes closed a couple seconds longer. "Hmmm… We could do that. But I think I've got a better idea." In the next second Diana was being scooped up in Bruce's arms, his lips against hers once again but with an intensity this time.

Diana scarcely felt her back hitting soft cushion as Bruce lowered her onto the bed. After a minute she pulled back slightly, smiling against his mouth, to breathily whisper, "I like winning."

He replied with a playful grumble, then said huskily, "No more talking, Princess."

Diana had no problem complying as he knotted his fingers in her hair, pulling her body even closer to his. She was blissfully lost, and she never wanted to find reality again.


	6. Chapter 6 - Alone

Thanks again for taking the time to review, LloydRPG Fan. The evil shall be surfacing soon! And to Nehday Tirwen: Thank you so much for the thoughtful advice. This is my first real attempt at fanfic, so I appreciate the input. Both the things you are enjoying and the parts to work on. I shall be more vigilant in my attempts to avoid a "step-by-step" kind of flow with time descriptions and instead use punctuation or line breaks to help incorporate the time lapses I want to imply. And I am working hard to keep the characters from falling too far out of their "comfort" zone. They've just gone through a very drastic change that was far out of their control, so that is the only reason I am stressing the vulnerable side of them right now. Once again, thanks!

* * *

_What am I doing here?_

Wally West stared at the wreckage before him. The scene was unsettling, mainly due to the disconnect between the calmness of the night sky and the image of ruin that spanned nearly a city block. Giant piles of rubble were all that remained as a representation of the buildings that once stood there.

He was surprised that nothing had changed from the night of the battle. Well, that wasn't entirely true. The ground was no longer littered with bodies. Dead, dying, broken, that day was when he learned the true definition of a battlefield.

The Flash wasn't consciously aware of the path his feet were taking him on until he saw the large slab of concrete in front of him. His breath was sucked away from him in a painful whoosh as the memory came rushing back to him.

_Wally heard the scream as though he was underwater. His ears were ringing and every muscle in his body ached with a pain he had never before experienced. But he knew that voice belonged to Shayera, and no amount of physical agony was going to keep him from getting to her._

_He grunted as he struggled with the large chunk of wall that had buried part of his body after the last explosion. Finally lifting it off of himself, he rolled over onto his stomach and tried to stand. His head felt as though it would split open from the pounding inside._

_The air was filled with debris from the crumbling buildings, making it difficult for him to spot his teammates among the rubble. His stomach twisted when he finally located Shayera. She was several yards in front of him and appeared to be crumpled forward on the ground, though most of her body was shielded from his vision by Batman who was kneeling beside her._

_"Oh God, please let her be all right." He thought. The Flash limped toward his teammates, wishing he could escape the nightmare in which they were trapped._

_"No." It was as though he had slammed into a brick wall. The sight of the dagger hilt protruding from Green Lantern's chest sent tendrils of paralysis coursing through his body. He could not move, could not think…_

Wally sank to his knees, digging his fingers into the powdery ground as he tried to release the memory. But the image of his friend lying dead in Shayera's arms refused to leave.

"Is this really a good idea?"

The Flash was startled out of his reverie by Batman's voice. Looking up, he found the Dark Knight standing a couple feet in front of him, his eyes narrowed. "Oh, uh, hey Bats." Wally said, trying to keep the sorrow out of his tone. "I just needed…" He wasn't sure how to end his sentence. _What _am_ I doing here?_

"In civilian clothes?" Batman questioned harshly. "Seems a little reckless, Wally."

"You don't need to speak to me like a child." Flash replied with aberrant frustration. "And as if anyone even knows who I am here. It's not like my face is plastered to magazines and newspapers every other week."

Batman stared at him silently.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Wally asked.

Batman moved his gaze to the ruin surrounding them. "This case hasn't been solved yet." He said simply.

Wally groaned. "But it has. The Joker beat us. That's all there is to it."

"I know he didn't get those weapons on his own. Someone was supplying him with that technology, and I am going to find out who."

"Sort of hard to do when the one guy who could tell you might never be speaking again." Flash said punitively. He knew it was unfair, but it felt good to release his anger on Batman. For once, he felt in control of the situation.

Flash's words forced Batman to a scene at GCPD a week earlier.

_Commissioner Gordon sat at his desk, papers spilled across the entirety of the surface in front of him as he addressed the dark, cloaked figure near the window._

_"He's been slipping in and out of comas, but further complications just arose. Multiple organ failures and now pulmonary embolism. He'll be lucky to live through the night." Gordon removed his glasses, massaging his closed eyes with his fingertips. "And if by some miracle he does, he'll probably be little more than a vegetable." He sighed._

_"I'm sorry you have to deal with this, Commissioner. I didn't mean to… lose control like that." Batman admitted._

_"Can't imagine there's a single person out there who wouldn't have done the same in your position. And by all accounts the Joker was headed for death row anyway after this latest abomination… Two thousand…" He whispered the number, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't know how they're handling the aftermath over there in Metropolis."_

_The two men were lost in their own thoughts for a moment. _

_"You'll keep me updated?" Batman asked finally._

_Commissioner Gordon turned toward him as he spoke. "Yes, of course, I –" He stopped abruptly when he realized the room was now quite empty. "At least some things never change." Gordon muttered to himself._

Batman stared at the young man in front of him. His jeans and t-shirt were coated in powdery dust, his bright red hair looking quite unkempt. Bruce met the speedster's green eyes that were laced with a deep sadness, the kind that never truly leaves an expression. He looked older. As though the past couple weeks had aged him several years.

Wally, mistaking Batman's silence for anger, spoke up once again. "Look, I'm sorry Batman. That was out of line." He sighed. "If anything, I actually wish I could have been the one to grind that lousy, grimy, monster into the ground."

"You don't mean that."

"With every ounce of my being. I think about it all the time. How satisfying it would have felt to rip the life away from him, just like he did to GL. To all those innocent people. There were so many… It makes me sick to think of all of them. All the people I wasn't fast enough to save." Wally could barely speak by the end of his rant, so choked full of emotion was his voice.

Batman waited as Flash fought to regain his composure before replying. "It doesn't help. During the time you're too numb to feel anything. It's like you're half asleep watching someone else control your body. And afterwards… afterwards you're just left with more confusion. Wondering if you're starting to become just like the people you've spent your life fighting." His words trailed off at the end as he sank into deep thought.

"You know that's not true." Wally countered softly. When Batman did nothing in response, he spoke again. "Batman…what if there are more of those guns out there? I mean, that thing even paralyzed Superman. We don't stand a chance against them."

"I know." Batman said simply. "And that's why I am going to find out exactly where the Joker was getting his weaponry and stop it at the source."

"But…how? He could have gotten it from anyone. From anywhere. This could be some no name, independent-"

"No," Bruce interrupted. "The financing of an operation to develop this technology would have to be significant. But, on the other hand, small enough to go unnoticed from an outside observer."

"Sooo… someone rich?" The Flash asked, trying to simplify Batman's words to gain understanding.

Batman did not appear to be listening to Wally anymore. He paced back and forth across the ground, and when he next spoke it was clearly to no one but himself. "LexCorp had just initiated a neural research program prior to Darkseid's invasion of Earth. Though claiming it was to find new ways to help patients who had lost motor functions in their limbs, I can guarantee there was more to it than that. No, Lex definitely had an alternative agenda…" Batman brought his hand to his chin pensively.

"Ok, I might be struggling here, but I'm seeing a major flaw in this uh…leap. Luthor is dead. We saw him disappear in that explosion with Darkseid, remember?"

"Even so, that doesn't mean the project didn't continue." Batman suddenly turned his back to Wally and began walking away.

Shocked at the abrupt conclusion, Wally watched as Batman travelled several yards before facing him again.

"I've got work to do." Batman said, reaching his hand toward his utility belt. He grappled upwards to the sleek, black plane that had just arrived.

Wally surveyed the sky for a while, watching Batman turn into a small speck and then disappear altogether. He returned his gaze to his immediate surroundings, which were once again blanketed by eerie silence.

He was alone.


	7. Chapter 7 - Clandestine

Sorry for the delay in updating! Finals and moving got the best of me. But here are the next two installments. Once again, thank you for the reviews LLoyd RPGFan and Nehday Tirwen. Your input definitely helps me as I write the later chapters. And thank you as well to my two new reviewers, Lizard-chan and nicklaura. To nicklaura: I'm sorry the story makes you so sad! Believe me, it's hard for me to put them through this too. But don't worry, they're a strong bunch, and they will find a way to get through it together.

Anyway.. enjoy!

* * *

Despite the late hour, the city of Metropolis buzzed with activity. A large, yellow moon hung in the air, soaking the black sky with a bright haze. In the streets were countless cars, each set on their own mission, regarding all others as merely obstacles blocking their final destination.

A woman stood inside a large office overlooking the city. Listening to the rhythmic interplay of various horns and shouts, she fought to restrain her fury toward the man speaking through the telephone.

"What do you mean they're not behaving?" She hissed into the receiver. Her left hand clenched into a fist as she listened to the response.

"You had precise instructions. If you think for one second that this failure will be tolerated-" She stopped abruptly as the desperate voice on the other end of the line squeaked a plea.

"Your fate is not up to me to decide. That is entirely up to _him_. In the meantime, I suggest you keep the prisoners under complete lockdown until he can get out there to fix your mistake. If you can manage that, then there may be hope for you. But if not…well, I think you get the picture." The woman snapped her phone shut.

Tucking the silver device into her inner jacket pocket, she took a few calming breaths.

The sound of the door opening was expected, but she still felt the creeping fear inside her chest as she saw his silhouette illuminated by the light from the next room. He shut the door behind himself, and the thick cloak of darkness consumed him, as well as the entire side of the office furthest from the window the woman stood beside.

"Good…good evening, sir." She stammered, swallowing hard. "Robert just called… There's been some problems with the prisoners. That is, he says they aren't… under control anymore. He believes the device implanted in Jonathan malfunctioned, and he was then able to free the others by removing theirs." The woman stared into the darkness, uncomfortable with the fact that she had no idea where the man she was speaking to was within the room.

"I told him to keep them detained until you are able to remedy the situation." Though it was a statement, she clearly was looking for reassurance from the man that she had acted according to his wishes.

She was met by nothing except silence. "Sir?" She asked, her eyes scanning.

Finally the man stepped forward, and the light from the window flooded over him. Dressed impeccably from head to toe in a tailor-made black suit, waves of power rolled off his body.

The woman found it difficult to keep eye contact, so great was her intimidation. She felt like a bug. _Which is probably all he thinks of me as now._

"You have followed protocol as expected. The complication was foreseen, but it will be dealt with shortly."

"But, sir… You aren't worried about the chip malfunctioning? I mean, if you plan to use these on-"

"There is no need for worry," he interrupted. "Changes have already been made to the next shipment. Jonathan Kent is of little importance. He and the other prisoners are no threat, and their purpose is being fulfilled."

"Test subjects?" She questioned. "I thought there was more to it than that."

The man smiled wickedly. "No matter the circumstances, I will never turn down an opportunity to torture Superman."

"Super-…? Wait, you mean those people…? You know his identity?"

"There is very little I do not know now."

She knew there was no denying that statement. However, her questions could no longer be suppressed now that he was finally sharing information with her. "How long until he figures out what you are doing?"

"I'm rather hoping it is soon. Torturing Superman does not work too well when he is not aware of the torture taking place."

"And _when_ he finds out?"

"I will be ready for him."

"Will you have me hire another to try to take out more of them? The clown went a little out of control, but he still managed to eliminate one."

"No. I believe the time for my ascendance has arrived."

"But…if you can continue to remain hidden, why reveal yourself already? The Justice League has no idea of your involvement in the Green Lantern's death. They will target you heavily when they find out."

"Of course they will." The man agreed simply. "Which is precisely what I want them to do. Everything is in place, and now it is time for me to put into motion the final phase of my conquest." He turned for the door.

"They won't go down without a fight." The woman added.

Pausing with his hand on the doorframe, the man replied. "My dear Mercy, they will all be under my control. Along with the rest of the world."

With that, the man stepped into the hallway, shutting the door promptly behind him and leaving Mercy to sifter through her complicated thoughts.


	8. Chapter 8 - Comfort

_She was spread across the couch on her side, her head resting on the pillow John Stewart had placed on his lap. "Can you do me a favor?" He asked, brushing a stray piece of Shayera's hair behind her ear. John let his hand linger on her face, slowly tracing his thumb across her cheekbone and lightly grazing her lips. They parted under his touch._

_"Hmm?" She murmured in response, turning her head slightly to gaze up at him._

_"Could you stop being so painfully beautiful?" His tone was light, playful, but the look in his eyes sent a flurry of butterflies to her stomach, warming her insides._

_"If you stop being so painfully corny." Shayera replied, laughing. "And you need to focus; you're going to miss an important part."_

_"Maybe I don't feel like watching the movie anymore." His hand trailed down her neck, following the line of her collarbone toward her shoulder._

_She reached up and grabbed his wrist. "John Stewart, you've made me watch Old Yeller more times than I can count, but you can't even get through Gladiator once for me?"_

_"Hey, it's not my fault you're so distracting." He countered while his free hand roamed over the curves of her body._

_"You are impossible." Shayera smiled, reaching out to click the pause button on the remote as she sat up._

_Strong yet gentle, he moved her body until she was seated on his lap. One hand travelled to the back of her head, burying itself in the auburn tresses as the other slid behind her wings to rest on her lower back. His lips met hers in a tender kiss._

_"I love you, Shayera." John whispered. _

_Her heart swelled, threatening to burst from the sweet perfection of the moment. So safe, so content in his loving embrace._

_"Always."_

Always. The word echoed in her ears as the blissful image shattered into a million pieces before Shayera's waking eyes.

"No," She cried out, the tears springing from her before she could stop them. "Please, no." Shayera fought to escape the pain, curling in on herself to try to prevent her body from falling to pieces.

The swelling in her chest from the dream had turned to an acid, slowly eating away at her insides. The aching, burning hole left her without breath.

A knock came from outside the entrance to her quarters. "Shayera?"

She recognized Wally's concerned voice and replied hoarsely. "Come in."

Upon reporting his user identity, the doors slid open and Flash entered her room. He spotted her on the bed and immediately recognized the situation.

Rushing to her side, Wally frowned at the sight of his struggling friend. Her tear-streaked face was contorted in agony, her small body curled into a ball. He began stroking her hair as he sat down on the bed beside her. "Oh Shay, I thought this had stopped."

She tried to respond but broke down in renewed sobs instead.

"Shhh, shhh, it's okay. I'm here now; you're going to be all right. Just listen to my voice. You hear me? Just listen. I'm right here next to you." The Flash ached as he felt her body shake with grief, wishing he could siphon away all her pain.

Shayera tried to do as he said, focusing on Wally and his soothing touch. Slowly, she regained control, numbing herself to the aching.

"That's it." He praised. Wally helped her sit up.

After a moment of silence Shayera was able to look up at him. She was thankful that Wally was out of costume. His familiar green eyes were an inexplicable comfort.

"Thank you. I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Shay, what on earth are you apologizing for?" He responded in disbelief. "You didn't tell me it was still this bad."

"I don't…I can't stop it, Wally." Her eyes glimmered. "I'm weak now. Even my body…" She trailed off as she glanced at her crippled wing.

"You are not weak." Flash replied forcefully. When she did not return his gaze, he placed his hand on her cheek to turn her face to him. "You're not. You're strong. You are so unbelievably strong. I have always looked up to you for that. Your wing will heal in time, okay? You cannot give up on yourself. Things will get better."

"I wish I could believe you." She replied quietly.

"You _have_ to believe me. You have to let yourself try to move on. And that doesn't mean forgetting him; it means honoring him. It's about living. And Shay, you have not been living the past couple weeks. You have to try. Because I can't…" His voice choked up, and he averted his eyes to the bed beneath him as he let out a shaky breath. "I can't lose you too. I love you too much for that."

Shayera spoke softly. "Wally, I lost so much more than just Jo-" She faltered. "Him, that night."

"I know, Joker took out your wing too. But that-"

"No," she interrupted. "I'm not talking about my wing; I deserved that much. But... I lost an entire life that night. A whole future."

"Everyone's lives changed that day. Nobody can plan for something like that."

"But that's just the point!" She yelled suddenly, startling the Flash. Shayera jumped out of her bed and began pacing, feeling far too confined by the space. "I _could_ plan. I knew he couldn't die. Not yet. He and Batman saw our future, saw the son we would share! My…son." She was shaking as tears poured down her face, but she did not offer them any credence. "I lost _everything_. Everything!" She shouted as she knocked the vase resting on her nightstand to the ground with a powerful swing of her fist. When it shattered Shayera fell to her knees.

Wally was there in a heartbeat, pulling her into his chest in a tight embrace. Words failed him. He had not known the depth of her loss, the complete separation she felt from the world. So he did the only thing he could – he held her to him.

Suddenly the complex emotional roller coaster he had seen his two friends endure ever since the Thanagarian invasion made perfect sense. Every uncomfortable interaction, every private look of mutual knowledge, the gradual gravitation toward one another... He had never regarded it as more than a difficult salvaging of trust. But now he could see the complicated hand fate had played into the development of their relationship.

A son. He let the enormity of that word weigh upon him.

"I'm empty, Wally." She whispered into his shoulder where her face was buried.

"No you're not." He pulled back, keeping one arm around her as he moved his other hand to wipe a tear from her cheek. "Hey, look at me. There are people who love you, people who still need you here."

She concentrated on the face before her. The face of a man she loved like her own flesh and blood. He had matured so much in the past weeks. She had barely noticed before. But there, with his arms around her and his eyes full of concern, Shayera could not deny the change in him. He was not Wally the joking kid anymore. "Since when did you become so grown up?"

"Since I had to start caring for my big sis." He replied softly.

It was while they were sitting in silence that Batman's voice came over their commlinks.

"Conference room. Now."

Though the terse command was not unusual, both Shayera and Wally could hear the edge to Batman's voice. Clearly, this was an important matter.

"Do you think you can…" Flash began, but was promptly interrupted.

"I'll be fine." Shayera stood up, showing a hardened exterior that lacked any hint of the pain within her.

Wally almost smiled. The rare moments where he caught a glimpse of his old friend were like a breath of fresh air.


End file.
